Acting Straight
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Again, I want to stress that if you're naturally inclined to be feminine or masculine, then run with it! I don't believe there's anything more freeing than accepting who you really are. I have a close friend who fought for years against his desire to be a drag queen. When we first met him, he was struggling to tone down his flamboyant nature for the sake of his straight friends. Over the course of the last few years, he stopped trying to be something he wasn't and simply allowed the real him to shine through. Today, he's happier than ever, and he didn't lose a single friend in the process. In fact, all his friends have been 100 percent supportive.

The idea that there is only one way to be gay is extremely damaging, not just for those of us already free from the closet, but for those who haven't come out as well. Here's the catch-22: The more non-stereotypical gay people who come out, the more the stereotypes will be debunked, but the very ones who need to come out in order to do this may be afraid to come out because they don't feel they fit the stereotypes.

By continuing to embrace phrases like straight-acting, we're perpetuating the idea that there is a proper way to act gay. The truth is you can't act gay or straight. The words only describe what gender you're attracted to, and how do you act as if you're attracted to the opposite sex?

So let's get rid of the mindset that there is a particular way to be gay or straight. If we want society to accept us as we are, we have to accept each other first. We have to realize that we come in all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds. We range from magnificently masculine to fabulously feminine, and everything in-between. There is no one way to "act gay," so let's celebrate all of the many colors that make up our rainbow flag. We need to stop acting like anything, and just be who we are.

© Josh Aterovis, All Rights Reserved. Josh Aterovis is the author of the Killian Kendall Mystery Series as well as numerous columns and articles. Article provided by GayLinkContent.com